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Month: July 2017

Last night I checked out Hope Centre Church’s Worship Together event. In many ways, it was everything I expected it to be (and that’s all I’m going to say about that) but I was deeply encouraged by the short sermon delivered by Pastor Nathan, and I want to share my brief – albeit slightly unrefined – notes in the hope that you too might be spurred on to pursue Christ more fervently. Preaching on Ephesians 3:14-19, Pastor Nathan captured the thrust of this section of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus this way: [Paul speaking] “I’m not going to pray for your specific life issue. Rather, I’m going to pray that you encounter more of God’s love.” Why Does Paul Pray That? Because he knows where…

Meet the Puritans: Union and Communion I’ve enjoyed this series, and this article is particularly comforting for those who face death, but who know of their union with Christ. Death no longer holds us captive to fear, and Jesus has made our hope for resurrection secure. A High View of Marriage Includes Divorce This article fascinates me, and I’ll admit I’m still thinking through all the applications for the many and varied situations that divorces arises from, and the “lies” that this author seeks to address from the gospel. Dear Church, You’re Wrong About Sex Phylicia gets down to business. Dealing with Disappointment Depak Reju has written some quality work (I have one of his books still on my wishlist) and this article further supports…

We’re in a series of articles exploring the councils and creeds of the Christian church. Why? Because when it comes to faithfully and diligently working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) we miss a great deal when we simply try to construct our own “real Christianity” with nothing more than a bible. To take heed from those who have gone before us is to benefit from the wealth found in the most important theological declarations of the Christian tradition. Today we continue the series with a look at the council of Ephesus. Background The First Council of Ephesus sought to further clarify and better articulate the Church’s understanding of the person of Jesus Christ, more specifically how he is both human and…

I try to include books on parenting and family as a regular part of my reading diet. I began this month with Chap Bettis’ book The Disciple-Making Parent: A Comprehensive Guidebook for Raising Your Children to Love and Follow Jesus Christ and I’ve been so convicted in the first couple of chapters that I’ve not only had to re-read them, but I’ve decided to blog my way through the remaining content. Not pulling any punches, Bettis is quick to get to the real heart of the matter when it comes to effective disciple-making. Quoting Scottish pastor and theologian Robert Murray M’Cheyne, he writes “What my children need most is my personal holiness” It might seem obvious, but how can I effectively disciple someone if I’m not…

Fill out a short form to get this free e-book from Mark Dever on the gospel & personal evangelism. The Radical Difference between Believers and Unbelievers Different worldviews, different rules, different kingdoms, and ultimately different kings. Every Book of the Bible in One Word There were a number of reasons why I really enjoyed this. A good summary helps my memory, but also asks me the question “do I know why that is the word chosen for this or that book?” It’s a Date Night: What Did You Expect? Joshua Waulk via Balight Counselling: “It may seem like a settled matter to some, but from the first session of counseling I hold with any couple, I seek to convince them of the primacy of hope…

When it comes to our spiritual formation, the average Western Christian has lost much of the value that comes from practices that quiet our souls and remind us of who we are. We live in an age of addiction to speed, multi-tasked productivity, compressed thoughts, and condensed experiences. Even when it comes to our spiritual life we find ourselves too busy to pray, too distracted to just “be still”, and even see some churches try to preach shorter sermons out of fear that they will lose the attendance of our attention-deficit generation. And from society around us we (the church) run the risk of succumbing to these bad doctrines and false narratives; carelessly adopting our secular culture’s daily liturgies. In You Are What You Love…

We’re in a series of articles exploring the councils and creeds of the Christian church. Why? Because when it comes to faithfully and diligently working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) we miss a great deal when we simply try to construct our own “real Christianity” with nothing more than a bible. To take heed from those who have gone before us is to benefit from the wealth found in the most important theological declarations of the Christian tradition. Today we continue the series with a look at the council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed. Background The Nicene Creed is actually the culmination of effort from two ecumenical councils (Nicea in 325 AD and Constantinople in 381 AD) and a century…

The Christian life is meant to be lived out in community. Rather than doing our best to “work out our salvation” in isolation from other believers, intentionally spending time with and learning from our brothers and sisters in Christ is richly rewarding… actually I’d say it’s required. On this shared journey towards Christlikeness, we work together to deepen our understanding of God through the means of grace (scripture and prayer) and the church community is the crucible in which we learn how to better apply the teachings of Jesus to the way we live our lives. In addition to regular church attendance (also required for Christians), I’m part of a group that meets together regularly to read, discuss, and learn from the writings of great…

Good News for Difficult Times Our circumstances may be difficult, even insurmountable, but we have good news to preach to ourselves that will change the way we respond to difficult circumstances. Scott Slayton provides a valuable reminder here (rooted in Romans 8 and coupled with Martin Lloyd-Jones’ Spiritual Depression), which I really need to read. You May Not Love What You Think A timely reminder for me, as I’ve just finished reading James K. A. Smith’s book on this. Here, he writes “how are you curating your heart?” through the activities you invest in and the priorities you choose (consciously or subconsciously). How do we engage in self-awareness rooted in scripture for the good of ourselves, our families, and the glory of Christ? The Law…

To be “saved” according to the New Testament means to become part of the people of God. A person is not simply restored to relationship with God in order to live as a Christian individual, isolated from the world and separated from the church. Rather the Christian becomes part of the body of believers; the community which has been called and gathered by the Holy Spirit, among whom God can dwell and through whom he can reveal his life and character to the world. In considering the fact that we now live as part of the Christian community, there are a number of implications for how we live both for ourselves, and for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Aside from the many means of grace…

We’re in a series of articles exploring the councils and creeds of the Christian church. Why? Because when it comes to faithfully and diligently working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) we miss a great deal when we simply try to construct our own “real Christianity” with nothing more than a bible. To take heed from those who have gone before us is to benefit from the wealth found in the most important theological declarations of the Christian tradition. Today we begin the series with a look at the Apostles’ Creed. Background Over the years, Christians have appealed to a variety of voices as sources for authority. While Scripture is clearly the ultimate and final source of authority on all matters to…

4 Essential Tips to Transform your Bible Reading Experience Every Christian knows the importance of this fundamental means of grace. Scripture is one of the primary ways through which God speaks to his people today. And yet, we’ve all experienced peaks and troughs as we engage in this discipline. Time to get back on track? Try this. Resources During Suffering and Lament Suffering isn’t a question of if; so when the storms come, I would like to have a solid foundation under me. Having my feet firmly cemented in these truths is what I need. Make Time to be Bored It’s school holidays for us right now, and boredom is a very real thing. But is it a thing to be avoided? And what about…